Food Miles
Food miles is the distance that your food travels from where it is grown or raised to where it is finally consumed. Environmental Impact As our world becomes increasingly globalized and international trade becomes more popular and economical, more and more food miles are accumulating and leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions, which are responsible for global climate change. Often our favorite foods, such as grapes, asparagus, cherries, and tomatoes are imported from thousands of miles away from places like Peru, Chile, Mexico, China, or Thailand1. A study in 1998 determined the average distance for where food is grown to the place of consumption in Chicago is over 1,500 miles2. The further away the food is grown from where it is sold, the more carbon emissions are produced. For example, a cattle farmer in Minnesota uses a half-gallon of gas to raise and deliver one cattle to market whereas large-scale operations use about 34 gallons3 to do the same. Food miles are not only affected by how far, but also by what mode of transportation the food takes to get to the supermarket. Air transport consumes over 15,000 kilojoules of energy per kilometer and produces 1,200 grams per kilometer in comparison to ships consuming less than 500 kilojoules of energy per kilometer and producing 30 grams per kilometer4. Benefits Aside from a reduction in food miles and pollution, there are many benefits to buying local product including: 1. Local is healthier and super-fresh. More miles between producer and consumer mean longer travel time. When you buy locally, there is less time between being picked and being consumed, and therefore, more nutrients are preserved. 2. Buying locally supports local farmers. Your money goes directly to the farmer instead of large corporations which then allows the local farmers to continue their work. 3. You can interact with your farmers. Farmers markets are great places to not only buy great food, but also to converse and get to know your local farmers. They can tell you exactly where the food came from and when it was picked. 4. Preservation of genetic diversity in crops. Large-scale farming has converted their practice to one or two types of crops with little genetic variation to maximize production whereas family farms preserve genetic diversity and flavor. In the Midwest with limited growing season, it can be difficult to eat locally year-round. However, there are an increasing number of winter farmers markets selling local product such as honey, eggs, potatoes, salsa, bread, beets, cheese, and more! More restaurants are beginning to buy local food for better produce and to support local economy. Another great way to eat local year-round is to preserve food for the winter using canning . Sources 1. National Resources Defense Council. 2007. http://food-hub.org/files/resources/Food%20Miles.pdf 2. Pirog, Rich. 2002. How Far Do Your Fruit and Vegetables Travel? Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/staff/ppp/food_chart0402.pdf 3. Neuzil, Mark. 2009. From prairie farm to St. Paul plate: the tale of lowline Angus #713. MinnPost. http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2009/03/prairie-farm-st-paul-plate-tale-lowline-angus-713 4. Hill, Holly. 2008.Food Miles: Background and Marketing. http://struancapital.com/PDF/Foodmiles.pdf